E-Paper
18,000 Indians living in US to be brought back to placate Trump: Report
India plans to repatriate 18,000 citizens living illegally in the US to align with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
In a bid to appease the new Trump administration in the United States and show willingness to cooperate with crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US, India is planning to repatriate its citizens living illegally in the US. This comes amid Trump’s efforts to deliver on his promise of restricting immigration in the US and to deport all those living in the country without proper documents.
Some 18,000 Indians have been identified for deportation, said a report by Bloomberg quoting unnamed sources. However, the exact number of Indians residing illegally or without proper documentation in the US remains unclear, which could potentially add to the figure.
The Trump administration’s prompt action on fulfilling his key promise of curbing immigration in the US has all those living illegally in the US and even on temporary visas on edge. Within hours of taking office, Trump shut down the CBP one app that facilitated legal entry of immigrants into the US by granting them work eligibility and also abolished birthright citizenship. He also declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and mobilized troops to restrict entry of illegal migrants.
Indian immigrants in the US
Indians account for one of the largest diaspora communities in the US. When it comes to the H1-b visa that allows employers to employ people for specialized jobs, Indians make up a massive percentage. In 2023 alone, Indians bagged three-fourth of the total 386,000 H-1B visas issued, as per official data. However, in terms of illegal immigration, India falls behind US’ immediate neighbours such as Mexico, Venezuela.
The reported figure of 18,000 Indians identified for deportation corroborates the numbers shared by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year. According to data released by the ICE in November 2024, some 17,940 Indians were among the 1.45 million people slated to be deported from the US. This included individuals with final orders of removal who are not in ICE custody but are awaiting deportation.
The report also mentioned that India stands at 13th rank among Asian countries contributing to the number of undocumented immigrants with China topping the chart with 37,908 people.
